Cinders
by TruRocks14
Summary: Like Cinderella but better I don't own YYH at all or else I wouldn't be writing here but this is the best place I can now
1. Meeting Kurama

"Hiei!"

Hiei turned and scowled at the voice. Kurama stood behind him, his arms crossed. "It's not going to be that bad. I'm going to be bored stiff if you leave me to go to this ball all by myself, you know."

Hiei's scowl deepened. "There will be girls to dance with. That's the whole objective of this ball, isn't it?"

Kurama glared. "You think I'm interested in those pretty, shallow girls? Think again! That sort of female only cares about her reputation and her bank account. I want nothing to do with them!" He huffed, then turned and vaulted out the window.

Hiei watched bemusedly. It wasn't the first time Kurama had run off. He had made a habit of doing such every time his parents planned one of these fiascos. The red-head despised the stuffy, frilled gatherings as much as his friend.

Kurama had long ago tried to halt his parents' exuberant matchmaking. He had sat down with them, and explained his quest to find real love. Yet, his ploy had backfired, and his mother had renewed her efforts with a new battle plan. Kurama found himself overwhelmed by the onslaught of extravagant parties, in which multitudes of ladies were paraded past him as if the 'right' one would leap into his arms.

He had quickly become bored with the festivities, and the powdered, primped and fluffed ladies of the nearby nobility started to seem like a flock of colorful peacocks.

Kurama shook the thoughts from his head as his feet impacted silently with the soft ground. He slipped past the garden arbory, through the rose hedge to his usual escape-a narrow, hidden path through the thicket. Kurama's sharp memory and nimble feet allowed him to move quickly through the thicket and hurry towards the town, determined to enjoy his sparse moments of freedom.

"Well, _excuse_ me!" Lady Yukino huffed indignantly. A red-headed youth had carelessly dashed across the road and had nearly knocked her onto her rump. In an exaggerated moment she regained her composure and sent a venomous glare after the boy. "The audacity of youth these days, to bump into a lady so callously!"

She planted her hands on her hips as her two daughters scurried to her side. Each sent a scathing look of their own towards the now empty side street. They turned sympathetic eyes to their mother.

"It was most likely a stable boy. Or an apprentice at most. They all have no etiquette, at any rate." Mani, the older of the two girls, slanted a look around the street full of merchants and vendors. "See how they scurry about like rats? They simply don't know any better, Mother."

Ise tugged at Lady Yukino's sleeve. "It is a good thing your dress was not ruined, Mama, else wise he would have to pay for a new one."

Mani rolled her eyes. "As if a peasant could afford a dress fine enough for Mother, Ise. If he had not run off so quickly, I'd have had a right mind to take him directly to the magistrate."

Lady Yukino wrinkled her nose and smoothed an invisible wrinkle from her skirt before they continued on. "Hmph, the town seems to run amuck by ruffians and troublemakers. It's a shame."

"I most definitely agree, Mama." Ise glanced behind her. Mani turned around.

"Was that boy a friend or yours, Megan?" She snapped, lifting her chin so as to stare down at the girl following them. "I'll bet he is. You're just the sort to associate with hoodlums and _peasants_." She spit the last word as if it left a foul taste in her mouth. Ise giggled.

The young girl did her best to ignore the barbs her sisters threw at her. She focused intently on the heavy array of bags and boxes in her arms, determinded not to acknowledge the stinging of sharp tears in the back of her eyes.

Lady Yukino and her daughters had been shopping since early that morning, and meg was made to carry it, though none of it were for her. meg sighed in the face of irony. That was simply how her life went. She seemed more like a servant than the true daughter of the house, she aggrieved. Life with her father had been filled with happy times, but her moments of joy seemed few and far between nowdays.

meg tuned out her stepmother's continued chatter. Thinking of Lady Yukino's near accident, meg stifled a small smile of amusement.

"Oh, Mama, look over there! That shop is new! Can we go in?" Ise's shrill voice cut through Meg's thoughts.

Mani turned her cool and cynical gaze to the object of her sister's excitement. Her haughty stare lit up appraisingly as a particular fabric in the window caught her eye. "Mother, wouldn't that make a nice dress? It would look lovely on me wouldn't it?"

Lady Yukino smiled indulgently at her two daughters. "Of course, my dears. Let's go see what is inside." She turned abruptly and headed for the shop, Ise at her heels.

Mani paused, turning to her stepsister. "You stay here and watch the bags, Megan." She sneered then turned and disappeared into the shop.

Meg sighed and let the packages slide from her hands, allowing the tense muscles in her arms to relax. She wiped away the beads of sweat on her forehead, silently cursing the hot sun.

It was then that Meg realized that she was being watched.

An elderly woman stared intently from across the street. She watched, almost curiously, as Meg shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. A kind smile curved her thin lips, and she beckoned the young girl to her.

"You there, girl, come here."

Meg let her gaze slip to the old woman, lingering a moment before falling to the bags and boxes at her feet.

What did the old woman want her for? The sign by the door told her that the shop from whence the woman came was that of a fortune teller. Taking her own dirty hands, matted hair and ragged clothes, she could hardly see why the woman would choose to solicit her, instead of any of the well-dressed, wealthier men and woman that bustled around her. Glancing again at the bags, she slowly picked her way across the road, coming to face the woman.

"Welcome child. I am Naomi, seer of fortunes."

Meg greeted the woman politely. "But I am afraid I've no money to pay for your services."

"You dear girl. For you it's free. I think you need my services more than I need your coins." She turned and headed into the shop, waving Meg to follow her. "Now come. I promise your bags will not go anywhere." She added as Meg turned to glance at the packages, still sitting across the street, once again.

Meg whirled around and trotted into the shop after the old woman.

The noisy murmur of the crowds faded away as she stepped down into the dusty cluttered room. Naomi turned to face Meg. "I'll read your fortune now."

Meg stepped forward hesitantly.

Naomi reached for her hand. Realization dawned on Meg and she held her hand out, turning her palm up to be read.

Naomi smiled and shook her head. To Meg's surprise, she took the offered hand in both of hers and lowered it, never breaking eye contact with Meg.

"I don't need to read your palm, child. I can sense it fine. Lords, I could feel it emanating from you all the way across the street." Meg puzzled over Naomi's enigmatic words, but she didn't have time to ask the meaning. Naomi's eyes were tightly shut as she concentrated. She drew Meg's hand up between them and squeezed it tightly. She spoke softly. "Your life will be turned upside-down. Soon. Everything that you know will no longer be."

Naomi continued. "Your dissatisfaction will disappear, but only after you gather the courage to make the change happen. A better life awaits you, if you allow it to find you."

Naomi paused for a moment. Then her eyes fluttered open, as if waking from a deep sleep, and she let Meg's hand fall back to her side as she stepped back. She regained her composure a moment, then graced another smile onto Meg. "I hope I mentioned something helpful."

Meg nodded, backing away as a flush crept up her cheeks. "I…have t-to get back …back to the packages…" She hesitated, and added "Thank you," and then she turned and ran out into the sunlight.

"Of course, child. I'm only doing what is my duty."

Meg ran across the street. She was sure she had never moved so quickly in her life. It was imperative that she return to the bags before Lady Yukino finished her shopping.

She slowed as she came to the bags, and, after doing a quick count, was sure they were all still present.

'_A better life awaits you, if you allow it to find you.'_

The fortune teller's words came back to her, and she wondered what they meant. A better life? Meg couldn't help but wish the woman was right, as ludicrous as it sounded.

A shriek cut through the air, causing Meg to tense. She turned slowly and saw Mani standing just outside the shop Ladu Yukino had taken her to. Her face was flushed an unsightly red, her clenched fists trembling at her side with anger.

"Megan! You idiot, my dress is in that bag! What is it doing sitting on the dirty ground? _Pick it up right now!_" She stormed over to Meg, her hands planted at her hips.

"I-I'm sorry Mani. I-my arms were tired and I just-" Meg was cut off as Mani's hand lashed out, and pain lanced through her right cheek. She stepped back, more out of surprise than the force of the slap, struggling to overcome her shock.

Mani wrapped the offending hand around a fistful of Meg's hair, dragging her forward until they were nose to nose. "You count your blessings, Megan," she hissed in her ear. "I was about to tell Mother about this little episode." She tugged viciously on the hair clenched in her hand. "What do you say to that?"

Meg blinked away her tears, refusing to let Mani see her cry. She turned to face her step sister.

"I…" Meg swallowed visibly, wishing she had the courage to tell Mani what she really thought. "…I'm…" _I'm so sick of this._ "I…apologize, Mani. I'll make sure your dress was not harmed."

Mani slowly released Meg's hair, frowning. "Well, don't ever do that agian, hear me? I'm going back inside. You better not go anywhere. And pick those bags up!" She shoved Meg hard, then whirled around and stalked away.

Meg closed her eyes as Mani pushed her off balance, bracing for the impact of the hard street. But the impact never came.

Her fall was halted by a pair of strong arms Meg's eyes snapped open as a length of fiery red hair brushed her cheek. She looked up, and a pair of vibrant green eyes gazed down at her from above. Garbled noise seemed only a hum as she blinked the dazed fog from her mind.

"I-I'm sorry?" Meg answered weakly as the man spoke.

"I asked if you were all right. You're not injured are you?" He stared at her with hypnotizing emerald orbs that made it impossible to answer his inquiry. He helped her to her feet, never breaking their locked stare.

"I…I'm fine…thank you…" Neg managed to murmur, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She pulled away, but her legs felt weak and wobbly.

The red-haired stranger watched her pull away with concern. She didn't seem very stable…the man began to check her over for injuries.

Meg colored hotly. "I-I'm fine, really. You needn't bother…it's…it's quite all right, sir. Thank you kindly for breaking my fall."

"Of course." The man stood, and Meg's eyes widened as she took in the whole of him. Surely, he must have been very wealthy to be dressed like that. And so neatly groomed… not a strand of his long wispy hair was out of place. Meg was suddenly curious. Why would a man of such status be concerned if a girl like her fell in the street?

"What is your name, miss?" The man now seemed to be studying her face intently, and Meg resisted the urge to turn away, so he would not see the smudges of dirt and soot. Flushed, she turned her eyes to the ground. Meg… my name is Meg."

"It's lovely." The man smiled, and Meg felt the breath catch in the back of her throat. "It suits you well." Meg wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she didn't much care, either.

"And may I ask who you might be?" Meg asked politely, with as much courage as she could muster.

The man looked as though he were about to answer her, then, snapped his mouth shut, reconsidering. He smiled kindly. "My name isn't important." Meg looked puzzled, but he didn't give her a chance to respond. He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "It has been a pleasure to meet you. I must hurry along, but I do hope we cross paths again." The man released her hand, then strode off inhumanly fast.

"Wait!" Meg cried out, though she didn't know why. She simply didn't want the man to leave. Not without knowing his name, who he was…but he was gone, and MEf dared not go after him.

"What a strange day…" She stood in the middle of the road, staring in the direction the young man had gone. Then, she clapped her hands together. "I've no time for such things! Lady Yukino will be finished soon." She scurried back to the packages, scopping them off the ground to wait for her step-mother. _Though, I hope this better life comes soon…_

In her mind, Meg thought she heard Madame Naomi laugh.

Top of Form


	2. Getting Together

You were making dinner as you saw a blur of red pass by the window. your step sisters and mother were invited to a ball your best friend Tru was helping you. Tru was the only person your stepmother allowed you to see

You took a seed from your hair and grew a plant from your hair and sent your energy into it making it flower.

"did you see that?"

"ya Tru what do you think it is?" you asked looking over at Tru

She was cut off by a knock on the door she wiped her hands on her pants and followed me to the door. You opened the door to find a man you saw at the market earlier that day

"Meg… do you live here?" he asked as he saw how beautiful your house was and looked at you

"you're a fox demon" he said you couldn't take it anymore and tried to run off but Tru grabbed you by your wrist and pulled you into a hug / it's ok meg/ she sent to you and let go of you and turned to the man.

"If you're here to patronize her I'm not going to take it," she said threatening him as she put her hand on the hilt of her sword but was pinned to a wall by a young man about her height. "Sorry I didn't mean to threaten your friend but I'm sick of meg getting hurt," she said as the guy let her go.


End file.
